The Spell
by JungleCat
Summary: The Witches have found a way to get the key out of Dawn, but they need Spike to help with the spell! Will Buffy have to do something icky to get his co-operation? (reposting)
1. Of Castings and Cuddles

"NO, what part of this is not sinking in? N. O, Not happening, no way!" Well... Buffy seemed really opposed to something as Xander wandered through the door to Giles' home. "Buffy, please listen to reason... You can not do this on your own..." Poor Giles... ever the voice of reason, to bad Buffy's voice is louder than reason. "NO," she looked firmly at Giles. "NO," she glared at Willow in annoyance, and then she turned on Xander and in climax to her argument screamed "NO!" "Yeeeaaa!" Xander jumped back, spilling a bag of salt and vinegar chips all over himself. "OK, OK, I hadn't even asked you about the table top dancing yet." Everyone's eyes turned to Xander, his eyes turned to the floor and there was silence throughout the house of Giles. Willow was the brave soul to pipe up first. "Buffy... we know how much you don't like him... we don't have any big like for him either... but he's the only one strong enough to help you! You have to get him to help... for Dawn...?" Willow had used the only trick she could think of. Cruel and heartless as she felt at that moment, dangling Dawns safety in front of Buffy was the only way to get her to see reason. Buffy slumped into a chair in defeat. She knew they were right of course; she just hated to admit it. It wasn't cool for the slayer to be wrong. "Fine... But I don't know how we're going to convince him... He's opposed to anything that even resembles work... and this is going to be hard." she was, of course, trying to talk herself around the problem. They wont see my point of view on the grounds he's a dick, I'll convince them on the grounds that he's a LAZY dick who wont help. "Buffy.... ordinarily I'd never suggest it but... Perhaps you could..." Giles hands were weaving in the air the way they do when he REALLY doesn't want to finish the sentence he started. "It is for the safety of the Key... the safety of Dawn..." Buffy could not even look at him "You want me to... to FLIRT with him??? No. Oh no, never, not happening, no!" Everyone looked at her expectantly... there was no getting around it, they needed his help and the only way he'd give it was if she... flirted... she couldn't even bring herself to think what else he might demand. She stood and growled angrily as she gathered her things and headed out into the rapidly darkening night. "Fine... FINE... but your paying for my Therapy!" she yelled over her shoulder. Xander looked around and blinked a little... this was all very strange and he had a feeling he wasn't going to like it when someone got around to explaining it to him. "OK... OK what is it that I have missed here?" Willow looked at Giles, then at Tara, then back at Giles. No one spoke, and once again it was up to Willow to use the weapon no one else in the room had. An intimate knowledge of the person being manipulated, and the best way to control them. "Well... see, we found this spell, it'll separate the key part of Dawn, from the Dawn part... then we can hide a much smaller thingy, or just keep it on Buffy at all times, and... Well it's going to require a lot of energy, so Tara and I can't do it, it'd kill us..." Xander looked at Willow in that way he always did when he kinda got the general idea of stuff, but didn't really see where the problem occurred. "OK... so Buffy has to do the spell because she's the chosen one. Where is the problem?" He was very confused, not unusual; he never really understood what was going on. "Well... the spell requires at least two people. So we need someone else strong enough to perform it and we need him now. Tonight! So... Buffy has to go talk Spike into helping her.." Willow braced herself for Xander going of the deep end. "Oh... so where is the huge problem? I mean, yeah we don't like him but, if we're helping Dawny then..." His face was blank, he had no idea. "Xander... performing a spell of this caliber is a very intimate thing. Buffy and Spike are going to have to work as a unit and... Well it's just a very personal thing." Of course Xander still didn't understand. But that's OK, he didn't need to, he went back to eating his chips, most of which he salvaged from the floor.  
  
Buffy grumbled to herself the entire way, this was NOT what she had in mind when she and Giles set the Witch twins to researching anything that could help. Of course, if she could get the Key out of Dawn and make it something small, something she could keep on her, things would be so much easier. She sighed, Spike was not the perfect partner for something like this, but in the very spirit of movie timing, the spell had to be done now, full moon and all that. She stopped in front of Spikes Crypt door. She always hated arriving, she felt the need to knock, but didn't want to give him that much respect. Of course, seeing she was trying to butter him up, she should probably be polite. She knocked gently. "Who is it?" Came the grumpy sounding English accented reply. Buffy didn't wait for an answer; she opened the door and went inside. Spike was sitting in his ratty old brown chair watching some crappy soap on the TV. "Well it's a start... you knocked. Next lesson, how to wait for an invite" Quipped the bleach blond vamp who lounged rather lazily in the chair, for some reason he was wearing boxers and nothing else. His incredibly pale body stretched out and surprisingly muscular all over. "I'm in a hurry..." she looked down, GOD she hated having to do this "I... I need your help," she mumbled to her shoes. Spike looked a little taken a back and simply looked up at her with those huge blue eyes of his. "Come again?" He said with a raised eyebrow. "I... I need you to help me. I need you to help me help Dawn." she was shifting her weight on her feet and looking rather nervous. Spike couldn't help feeling for her then, she looked so alone. Of course this was a wonderful opportunity to rub it in her face. She... the Slayer, asking SPIKE for help. At the mention of Dawns name however, he rethought the jokes on the tip of his tongue. Dawn was one subject it was not good to joke about with Buffy, not when her safety was an issue. "Doin' what exactly pet...?" he asked, completely aware that if it involved dieing he'd probably go regardless. "A spell... to separate her from the Key... So she'll be safe, the Key will just be my responsibility." she said, unable to bring her eyes up to face him. "Why me... why YOU for that matter... why are the little witches doin' it?" He was already moving around, picking out clean pants and a clean shirt and struggling into them. "They aren't strong enough... It'd kill them... I'm the slayer and you..." "I'm dead..." he finished for her. Spike finished tugging his shoes on and looked down at the Blond slayer. She'd always been shorter than him, but somehow today she felt it. "Will you help me? I... I can give you something you want in return..." She was trying to be coy, maybe if she laid this on real thick, she wouldn't have to touch him till after the spell, at which point she wouldn't touch him at all. Was he smart enough to demand an upfront payment? Spike raised an eyebrow; he'd been doing that a lot tonight. Was she implying what he thought she was implying? No way! It didn't matter! He didn't want anything from her that way! He growled in utter frustration and with speed only a Vampire (and perhaps the slayer) could master, he had her against the wall, her arms pinned above her head by his hands. "What exactly is it your offering here Slayer?" she growled at her. "... What you want..." she took a deep breath and stretched her neck forward, nuzzling her face gently against his neck. Oh boy... all that stuff about not wanting it from her unless she wanted to... it sounded really weak in Spikes mind right then. The warm breath of the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen was gently caressing the skin of his neck and he really did not want to stop her... But this wasn't what he wanted. He wanted candles and music and the perfect moment with Buffy there because she wanted... no because she needed to be. Because she loved him back. "No!" he almost spat the word as he pushed himself away from the wall and began stalking around the crypt angrily. "You wont help me?" she sounded desperate, pleading. Oh God how much he just wanted to let her convince him. He stopped his angry pacing and looked her in the eyes. His were angry and more than a little hurt. She thought she saw his shoulders shaking, but didn't dare say anything at this point. "Of course I'll help you, you little twit!" he growled angrily. He stalked back to her and again pinned her against the wall, this time only with his body, his hands on either side of her head supporting his weight on the wall. "I will not be bribed by you... not like this... I don't want to do anything with you... not when you're doing it to get my help." He gazed down into her eyes and was fairly sure he'd just blown his only chance of ever feeling her skin... tasting her lips or holding her in his arms without a fight. He had principals... who'd have thought it. Now of course, that he had done the right thing, it was time to regret it, to regret not stealing a single kiss when it was offered. Buffy was shocked beyond anything and couldn't seem to move. He was so angry with her. She honestly thought he'd be overjoyed. That he'd take her token affections for a night and do as she asked. She never expected him to behave this way... the way a man might when offered something he wanted so much in such an unsavory manner. "Thank you" she managed timidly after some time. Spike looked down at her and was ever so tempted to steal a kiss... just one little kiss. In the mood Buffy was in, maybe she wouldn't hit him for it. He slowly lent his head down until his mouth was almost touching hers, he could taste her breath, and then she said the one thing that stopped him in his track... "So... you... you changed your mind... you want me to... I mean you want you're... payment." Spike growled angrily and pushed away from the wall, he grabbed his coat and glared at Buffy's small frame. "Let's go Slayer." He said, holding the door open for her. Buffy walked out of the crypt feeling rather bad about the whole thing. She'd counted on making the noble sacrifice for her sister and all that trash. That way she'd come out of this a hero and owe Spike nothing at all for his help. Seemed it wasn't going to work out that way. Once they reached the summers residence, Buffy opened the door and started to wander up the stairs, until she heard a rather annoyed clearing of an undead throat behind her. Spike was standing at the door. "Oh... Sorry... Come in Spike" Mumbled Buffy Spike moved through the door, seemingly relieved to once again be allowed entry to the Summers household. He'd always liked it here. Mrs. Summers made great hot chocolate with little Marshmallow thingies in it. He always did like Mrs. Summers, she was a lovely lady. "Ummm the spell book is in my bag, will you start setting up please? I wanna use the bathroom" Mumbled Buffy as they passed her room. She gave him her bag and wandered to the bathroom. Spike sat on the edge of Buffy's bed and started flipping through the book till he found what looked like the Spell, he speed read over it and nearly dropped it to the floor. "Umm... Buffy?" he called. "Yeah?" "Have you actually READ this spell and what's involved?" "Willow explained it to me, but no I haven't actually read the text, why, is it in Chinese or something?" She asked coming out of the bathroom with her hair tied back and a freshly washed face. "No no, it's in English... I think you might want to read over it though... like now." He seemed very very nervous. Buffy took the book and started reading and, sure enough, she found the part that had sent Spike into a spinner. She to nearly dropped the book. The passage went something like this.  
  
Because of the enormous power needed to work this spell, clothing can not be worn inside the circle, whilst Skin is protected from this kind of energy, fabrics of almost any kind would be burnt from the skin possibly doing damage to the caster depending on the material. It is best not to risk it  
  
"Oh... oh my...I... Ummm" Buffy just looked at the book, then at Spike. She had not seen this coming at all! Why hadn't Willow warned her? "I take it spells off then Pet?" Spike asked as cheerfully as he could manage. Buffy looked down at the photo of Dawn she had for the spell. Dawn was with Willow and Tara right now so they could look after her while Buffy did the spell. She had to protect her sister... If she got the key out of her then Dawn would be perfectly safe from Glory. "No... I mean... if you'll still help me. I need to get the Key out of Dawn... so she'll be safe..." Spike smiled softly and nodded, He understood that just fine. He liked the little girl anyway. She loved listening to him tell stories about gory battles and all the things he'd done in his rather long unlife. "OK... well, we can get everything set up first, no need to get nuddy till we're ready." He said as light heartedly as he could. He was a little worried about the kinds of things that could rather easily... well... pop up. Seeing that they were both going to have no clothes on and it wasn't abnormal for they're to be popage on his part while she was covered neck to knee. "OK... Willow showed me how to set it up, Ummm will you run downstairs and get the herby bundle out of the fridge?" She asked as she started arranging things on the floor. "Sure thing pet" Spike was more than happy to get out of the room. This was not what he'd had in mind at all and he was a little worried about how it would turn out. He sat on a chair in the Kitchen for a little while, thinking hard about Angelus in a bikini and Xander naked, anything he could think of to make the burning in his pants go away. This is not a good idea. Finally, when he was relatively sure he'd controlled himself, he got the bundle of herbs from the fridge and bounded back up the stairs. At the doorway to Buffy's room he nearly fell backwards losing his bundle of herbs! Buffy was carefully pouring white sand in a perfect circle she'd marked out on the floor. Of course that didn't interest Spike at that moment, what had him so of balance was the fact that she was mostly naked. Sure she had her underwear and Bra on but that did little to cover what Spike believed to be the most beautiful body in the universe. "Oh.. Ahem... I mean... Got 'em?" He held out the herbs weakly and Buffy blushed. It was an all round uncomfortable situation. "OK... well, can you crumble them into that bowl over there and then, I guess... you should probably take those off and we'll get started..." She gestured vaguely to his clothes and went back to arranging everything inside the circle. The picture of Dawn she placed in the center lovingly. Spike went about the crumbling of the herbs with rather shaky hands and tried incredibly hard not to look over his shoulder at the blond slayer who was wandering around in her underwear. "Umm Spike. How do you raise energy in a circle? The book says to do it but it doesn't say how?" "Wouldn't know Pet, Don't do spells, I just kill things" Great... first wisecrack he'd managed all night and it was NOT getting him anywhere. "Oh, it's OK, Willow left us a little note. Oh..." she reads over it a few times "Thanks a lot Will... this tells me nothing." "What does it say Pet?" "Basically that once we're inside the circle and everything is happening the right way for the people doing the work will present it's self. She says common ones are singing and dancing... Great. I don't do either of those very well..." Spike grinned and took her hand, spinning her around in a move that died somewhere in the early 70's. Once he let her go to giggle herself silly he closed his eyes and began to sing... "Witchey WOMAN!" And so on (song cut short because Author doesn't know it all. If someone can send me more I'll add it.) Buffy collapsed in a fit of giggles on the floor that almost brought her to tears. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. As long as they both managed to keep it relatively light hearted and didn't phase each other out... this could be OK. It was all for Dawn. Just remember that and try not to look at Spikes naked body! "Everything ready then Pet? Now we've covered that at least I can do both the things that may be required?" Buffy laughed at him and nodded, she then stood and stepped over the ring of sand into the magic circle as Spike shrugged out of his shirt and tugged his black top over his head. He then looked at his pants, then at Buffy. "You sure you don't wanna find someone else to do this?" He asked softly, well aware of exactly how odd this was going to be. "There isn't time Spike... there is no one else." She took a deep breath and reached behind her to fiddle with her bra hookie thingies. She hated those; she much preferred ones that hooked in the front. Spike laughed a little and reached over with one hand and a flick of the wrist had the Bra undone. "You did that to fast..." she almost accused. "I'm over 100 years old, when I started out I had to undo corsets!" He laughed as his jeans got kicked off, leaving him in only his boxers; they had little count duckulas on them. "Very cute." Said Buffy looking at the Boxers "They suit you." There was a lot of tension in the room as Buffy lit the candles, Spike turned out the light and stepped into the circle. Buffy took a deep breath, Spike did to even though he didn't need it and they both slid their final garments off and tossed them out of the circle. The first thing Buffy noticed was exactly how much she wanted to sneak a peak. She wasn't sure why she should feel the need or even why she was interested, that human curiosity thing probably. She desperately wanted to know... well... you know. Exactly how Spike rated in the size department. The second thing she noticed was that Spike, rather unexpectedly, was not staring at her naked body. He was looking her in the eyes. Saying Spike didn't want to look would be a lie. He REALLY wanted to look, he wanted to look more than just about anything. But at that moment, he thought that it was enough to see her face, her hair tumbled freely down over her shoulders and from this angle he could tell she didn't have a top on but not much else. That was beautiful enough for now... time to sneak peaks later. "Well... We should get started on this. Ummm, do you wanna cast the circle or should I?" Asked Buffy. "Well... I assume you've been told what to so, I'll just do what you tell me." That made sense, why didn't she think of that? Stupid naked body, why did she care? She had a nice body. I didn't matter! Right. With that thought she walked the circle like Willow had shown her and said the words in the weird language that didn't really mean anything. Willow had explained that she could do it in English, but if all she was readying were syllables and sounds, instead of words, she'd be less likely to trip over her tongue. Made sense in theory. As Buffy spoke, a white circle appeared, it shone and the light filled the room. Buffy felt all tingly and once the circle was cast, the air inside it was slightly electric. Spike was sitting cross-legged where she had pointed him and was watching her quietly. She sat next to him and smiled faintly. "OK... Now we need to sprinkle the herby stuff over Dawns photo." she said handing Spike the bowl. They took a hand full each and, chanting what Willow had given them, sprinkled the foul smelling stuff over Dawns photo. Buffy laid a silver locket on a chain over the top and then they sprinkled a little more herby stuff. Then came the chanting, repetitious syllables that really didn't mean anything to either of the chanters. It was getting close to the time when that energy raising would have to be done and nether of them had any idea what they were going to do about it.  
  
In Willow and Tara's room, Willow was going over the spell hoping Buffy and Spike were doing OK. She smiled up at Tara and leaned back against the wall. "What do you think Buffy and Spike will do to raise the energy?" She asked quietly. "The only thing a man and a woman ever do for a spell that powerful. Really they should have had a whole coven of people that strong but we couldn't get that in time" Answered the blond witch without looking up from her book. "Ummm Tara what do you mean..." Willow had an incredibly bad feeling about that answer. "Oh, once the spell starts it'll just all flow together. The spell uses them not the other way around. They'll have sex." Tara... she always said things in that quiet confident manner now. "Oh NO!" Cried Willow as she dived for the phone. "What... what did I say?" Tara asked quietly.  
  
Outside the circle, the phone was ringing, but neither the Bleached vamp nor the small blond slayer could hear it through the fizzle of electricity in the air. Buffy wasn't really sure what was happening to her. Her skin felt all tingly and alive, like it was burning but not in a bad way, and then she looked over at Spike, she knew his skin was always cold, maybe if she touched him the fire would go away. It wasn't a bad fire, but it was making it hard to concentrate on the spell... She needed to finish the spell. Spike was looking right back at Buffy, he to was having a strange tingly feeling, which was made even odder by the fact that his body hadn't really 'tingled' since he was alive. He was enjoying the experience but he was fairly sure there was something he still had to do... RIGHT the spell... but he didn't know what to do next. Before he could turn to ask Buffy what came next, he felt her small hand on his shoulder. It felt incredibly hot against his cold skin, and for some reason, that was a really good thing. Coolness spread up through Buffy's arm and she smiled softly at Spikes inquiring eyes when he turned to look at her. She wanted to thank him, because he was cooling her down, but for some reason, she didn't really feel the need to say anything, she reached out with the other hand and lay it on his chest gently so the same cool feeling would spread up that arm too. At the feeling of her hand on his chest, the words flitted out of Spikes head. Somehow he vaguely heard a voice, a young frantic sounding voice, but it was far away and he wasn't really interested enough to strain. "Buffy! Buffy don't start the ritual! We'll find another way! If you do, you'll have sex with Spike!" Came from Buffy's answering machine. Nether of them heard though. Spike's skin tingled with a hot burning sensation when Buffy was touching him, and he really liked that feeling. He reached out and brushed Buffy's hair off her shoulder gently enjoying the burning in his fingertips where they touched her shoulder. The air around them was fizzing and crackling now, if they had been looking, they would have seen small blue sparks of pure energy flitting about them. Not many, but it was a start. "Buffy I..." began the vampire, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was he was trying to say. "Spike... Your cold..." Was all Buffy managed in reply. Somehow, without communicating at all, they moved together, both kneeling, Buffy's arms went around Spike's neck, his around her waist and they leaned against one another, each soothed by the contrasting skin of the other. Spike gently pushed Buffy's hair away from her ear and pressed his cheek against her's to whisper in her ear. "What's happening Slayer...?" he asked softly, one of his hands sinking down from her waist of it's own accord to rest lightly on her perfect ass. "I don't know... Mmmm " she purred quietly in his ear, seemingly unworried about anything. Spike's other hand tangled it's self in her hair and he tilted her head back gently, and gazed into her eyes with his cold blue ones for a moment before leaning in and pressing his cold lips to her hot ones. The sparks that moved through the circle went faster, glowed brighter and there were more of them than before. It wasn't enough to have his skin against her, she was getting hotter and she needed him to get rid of it. Spike rocked back until he was sitting and Buffy settled herself on his lap facing him, their mouths still locked ever so gently. Buffy was the first to moan, to break the slightly fizzling silence of the circle; it was then that the feeling in the magic space changed. Up until that point, it had been about feeling, becoming cooler or warmer as their bodies demanded, but with Buffy's moan, Spike saw, in sharp focus, that his Goddess was in his arms. She was kissing him, wanting him. Buffy felt the change as well. Her fingers moved up to bury themselves in his bleached hair and her kiss became more passionate. In turn the sparks that filled the circle became charged, they flailed around bouncing of the ring of light that surrounded them. When Buffy began to rock against Spike's growing erection, he slipped a hand between them to find her heat. His fingertips found it and carefully pushed their way inside, the heat was incredible against his cold hands. Buffy felt a searing cold move through her and cried out in the pleasure of it, she moved against the fingers until, quite by accident, Spikes fingertip brushed against her clit. Spike was in raptures as Buffy threw herself against his fingers, when he found what he was looking for; he rubbed it, at first gently, then faster and harder as Buffy became more and more vocal about her pleasure. "Buffy.... I love you..." gasped Spike as Buffy's hands left his neck, trailed down his chest and found the now hard pole of flesh that jutted up between them. "Mmmm..." was all Buffy seemed able to manage. Rising slightly, Buffy wriggled forward and very slowly began to slide Spike inside her. Spike felt the indescribable heat sinking around him and nearly lost control of himself. The urge to just grip her shoulders and thrust into her was overwhelming but he wanted it to last, wanted to be in her forever. The sparks around them were flying furiously through the space they were allowed. The energy inside the circle was pressing at its confines, screaming to be released. The hard coolness entering her was making Buffy groan, her arms moved back up around Spike's neck and she held on tightly as she began to move around him, his hands on her hips guided her up and down. Nether of the writhing bodies inside the circle knew or cared what was going on outside it. All memory of the spell and its purpose was gone from their minds. "B... Buffy..." gasped Spike, no longer able to put of the inevitable... He felt a surge inside him and lowered his head to Buffy's neck, resting his forehead against her shoulder as he drove into her one last time. Buffy had no breath to answer him as her own pleasure over took her. The raw energy rushed through them both, throwing Spikes head back, a beam or white light exploded from their union and burst the bubble of the circle, sending the spell flying out into the night.  
  
Dawn sat upright in bead and screamed, blood seeped from her nose and she could not stop shaking. She couldn't remember her nightmare, but something was gone... missing from her and she felt it's loss most keenly. In moments Willow and Tara were there however, their arms around her as she tried to catch her breath. "Did it work? Do you feel different?" asked Willow in a worried voice. Dawn could only nod, still terribly shaken, Willow looked at Tara over Dawns' head. Buffy was not going to be happy about what she had to do. At least it worked.  
  
Buffy was breathing hard when she woke, her head resting on the naked shoulder of the bleach blond vampire. She tried to remember what had happened but everything was blurry. Spike was just beginning to come around to, his lips up against Buffy's ear. When Buffy tried to move she gasped, Spike being still inside her she would have fallen back if she'd had the strength, and if Spikes arms had not been gently holding her to him. "Mmmm Buffy? Did it work...?" asked the still half unconscious man beneath her. "I... I think so... Spike... help me move" She stammered out, the memories of what had happened slowly dawning on her poor tired brain. Spike grunted and started to push Buffy of, and then he two realized the situation and everything hit him in a sudden rush. He groaned and lifted Buffy gently off him and shuffled back. "Oh God Buffy... I'm so sorry...I didn't..." "It wasn't your fault" she cut him off "I am going to have a talk with Willow though..." There was evidence of a growl in Buffy's voice. Spike stood and stepped over the circle of sandy stuff looking for his clothes. He tugged on his boxers and got Buffy's underwear for her. "Here..." he said softly and politely turned his back while she dressed, for all the difference it made now. When the phone began to ring, Spike answered, as Buffy was in the bathroom cleaning herself up. "Hello?" "Spike! I think it worked! You didn't... I mean... you and Buffy... there was no... Was there?" Babbled Willows voice on the other end of the line. "... Thank you for the warning Willow... I'm fairly sure Buffy is unimpressed... She's in the bathroom cleaning herself up right now." "OH!! Oh... We're sorry... we didn't know... is she... is she OK?" "I think so Pet... I'm fine to by the way..." "Of course you are... I mean... I didn't think you'd mind it... I mean..." "Willow! Whatever you may think of me... I do NOT want to 'take' Buffy; I don't want to rape her I don't want to have sex with her whilst compelled by a spell! Do you understand? I want... I want candles... well we had candles... but I want music and mood lighting and more to the point a CONCENTING Buffy, not a drugged, spaced out or crazy one." "...I'm sorry..." came the meek reply after a long pause. "I'm ready... is that Willow?" Came Buffy's weak voice from the doorway. "Yeah it is... you wanna talk to her pet?" "No... I don't think so. I'm not stable enough to talk to her right now. Is Dawn OK?" "She's fine Pet." "Good... get rid of her please." "OK... Buffy and I have things to clean up Red, we'll talk tomorrow I guess." He said back into the phone. "Tell Buffy I'm sorry... I didn't know until it was to late..." "Will do red." Spike turned back to the girl in the doorway who seemed very small to him somehow, maybe because she looked so upset, like she'd been betrayed. He wanted to move over to her, to take her in his arms. But that was the problem, there had been too much of that already. "Do you want me to go Buffy...?" he asked softly, her name tasted odd to his lips, he was so used to calling her Slayer, he just couldn't bring himself to do it right then. "No no, you are not getting out of helping to clean up the mess!" They both laughed and moved into the circle again, Buffy bent over to pick up the locket and fell backwards with a cry "SHIT!" "What??? What is it Pet?" Spike bounded over to her. In her hand she held the locket, no longer one but two. Both in the shape of half a heart, they even had separate chains. The powers that be had a sense of humor it seemed. "I guess... I guess you're meant to take half... it's not like you can't look after it." Buffy handed him his half and he struggled with it until it sat comfortably around his neck. Buffy struggled with her's too but in the end Spike had to help her, her hands were shaking to badly. Spike smiled softly at her when he was done and cautiously wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Friends...?" he asked. "Friends... for now" said Buffy softly, there was a hint of a mischievous smile on her face and Spike was take a-back. "What's that meant to mean?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Buffy didn't answer, she just went about cleaning the circle and handed Spike the dust buster to get up the sandy stuff that made the circle. He watched her work for a moment with a baffled look. "No really... what... are you teasing me?" Poor guy... he sounded so desperate. 


	2. Tingles and Changes

"Get away from me you icky, slimy." Buffy never had a chance to finish her little tirade. The demon fell at her feet covered in its own slimy blood; a large chunk missing from it's left shoulder all the way down to its waist. Behind it, a grinning and cocky Spike stood with battle-axe in hand. "Hello love, glad to see me?" he asked jovially. "I was fine." She answered shortly. Spike took of after her as she hurried away through the sewer to the ladder that would lead her to the surface. "Now love, there is no need to be like this." Spike almost sounded like he was begging. "There is EVERY need, I have great need! I'm really really needy!" she screamed at him. When Buffy got upset, she tended to ignore not only the English language, but human logic and reason. Safe to say, she was not only upset, but confused as well on this particular occasion. It had been less than a day since she had cast a spell on her sister, removing the mystical 'key' part of her and transferring it into something small. Something that Buffy could keep on her at all times. However, as with most things in the universe, nothing went the way Buffy thought it would. OK, so not having to sleep with Spike was a plus at least to start with. But then she'd ended up sleeping with him anyway! How did that happen? Willow had explained to them both that it was the spell, no real feelings needed to be involved for it to happen and it was best forgotten. But the more Buffy tried to forget the more it plagued her. She couldn't get the feeling of burning out of her mind, the way her skin felt alive and how he had soothed her with his touch. It also didn't help that he wore his half of the key right out in the open. It sat perfectly in the hollow of his throat just above the line of his shirt so her eyes were drawn to it. She ignored how safe it looked there, how easily he wore the responsibility with never a complaint about it. There had been talk at one point of taking it off him and giving it to Giles for safe keeping, that was forgotten however when it turned out the clasps could not be undone on either chain. Buffy had sworn some and then suggested breaking the chain and simply buying a new one. It was decided however that would be a bad idea, and Spikes half of the key would remain exactly that, his half, to care for as best he could. "Slayer stop. Buffy!" he called after her. Buffy stopped one hand on the ladder to the surface and safety. Something about the way he sad he name stopped her cold. Spike moved up behind her and she could feel his presence. feel him get closer as if her skin could sense it. "Slayer this is ridiculous, we can't keep this up." He almost whispered. Buffy took a deep breath. She would be mature, she could do this. She could work this out with him for the fate of the world was shared evenly between them now. "I know. I'm sorry. I just. we just, you know what we did and. I didn't." Buffy looked up at him helplessly. "Do. Do you regret it pet?" he asked. "We helped Dawn, and it was worth it." She mumbled softly. "Slayer. Buffy, that's not what I meant." Buffy looked up into his clear blue eyes and for just a moment it didn't matter that he was a vampire, that he had been dead for the last 126 years. that on numerous occasions he had tried to kill her. He was a man then, and for as long as Buffy lived that would be the moment when her clear black and white world changed to a dizzying array of grays. Spike was just a man, special circumstances yes but where they any different to Oz's really? Oz locked himself up to keep from hurting people; Spike had long ago stopped trying to get rid of the chip. Spike fought on the side of good, and he loved Dawn as much as she did. In that moment, Buffy truly believed that he loved her to. "Spike. it was a spell, and now its done, and I don't think we should dwell on it anymore. There would just be badness." she smiled at him bravely and looked up through the manhole that lead up into the sunlit street. She suddenly felt guilty about leaving him down here to walk back to the crypt by himself in the dark. She let go of the ladder and looked at him smiling slightly, Spike hardly noticed, he had the look of a broken man about him. "C'mon Spike. I'll walk you back to your crypt." Spike hefted the Battle-axe so the handle rested on his shoulder with the head of the axe behind him. He managed to smile, how he'll never know but he did it, then as brightly as his now broken undead heart could manage, he made conversation with her all the way back to his crypt. They were buddies; at least he could say that. Friends? Partners maybe? In any event, he could do this. He could follow her perfect sent (and perfect ass) around until the end of the world. He could take care of her and watch over her and never touch her skin again. Unbidden came flashes of that night. Smooth, hot, slayer skin and blonde hair, arms as strong as his gripping his shoulders and whimpering for him. He shook his head to clear it away but it lingered as it always did. She had been out of control, under a spell, a spell they started together. She hadn't really wanted it. Spike had always been sure that if he could just make her want him once, just once, for a split second, then he could make her love him. Make her see him as more than a monster that prowled around and occasionally helped her when it served his own ends. His ends were to be near her. To be by her side always. It hadn't worked like that. She had wanted him, she had taken him as surely as he had taken her and now she stood before him, friendlier perhaps but no more in love with him than last week. He couldn't understand why. Soul or no soul, Spike was a romantic being, in the innermost depths of his not soul, he knew, he just KNEW that if you loved someone, if you were good for them, then the fairytale ending was possible, indeed unavoidable. Why hadn't it been like that for him? Why didn't the ending he knew he was heading towards happen? Hadn't he been patient? Hadn't he done everything in his power? Short of becoming a man again what more could he do? Spike stopped and Buffy who'd been jabbering on about something was some ways ahead before she realized it. "Spike? Are you OK?" she asked worriedly Worried? She was worried about him! Spike shook his head a little and looked down at an expectant little face with bright hazel eyes. Her hair had been pulled back perfectly when she left the house but not a few blonde locks had escaped and hung around her face. God she was beautiful. "Nothing Slayer. just havin' a thought." He smiled softly and fought the urge to reach out and touch her face with the back of one undead finger. Undead. he was undead all over and she would never have him that way. All right, his romanticism never considered that it would be impossible, that Angel had wanted this longer than him and had never found a way. Failure was not an option. He would become a man again, and Buffy would love him. "You thinking is dangerous, what'ya thinkin'?" she smiled softly. It was a friendly kind of dig. He liked that. "Nothin' pet, it's OK. I think I wanna talk to the witches though. Need a little help with something," Buffy looked at him hard and put her delicate little hands on her hips in annoyance. "OK, back to not trusting Spike mode, what are you up to?" she demanded. "Birthday present for you Pet," he only half lied right? Buffy blinked, "I'm not sure how to go about it though so I need to talk to the Witches, Red knows you better than anyone right?" Buffy was lost for words. Spike was going to do something for her birthday? She knew he was a party animal and really once you got past his annoying habit of being right all the time, he was actually kinda fun, and funny. "You. you want to do something for my birthday?" she just looked at him. "Sure pet. we have the friends thing down now right?" he smiled his best smile for her and looked down at her with his ice blue eyes, "Friends do this kinda stuff for each other." Buffy laughed softly and gave him a quick cuddle around his middle. Or at least that had been the plan. When Spikes arm's wrapped themselves around her shoulders the plan was altered, just a little. She was going to look up and smile at him, then pull away. That plan went out the window when the locket around Buffy's neck began to tingle and glow, Spikes did the same and the two blonde's looked at each other seemingly unable to move. Plan number three was more or less asking what the hell was going on, but as Buffy couldn't seem to make her brain work, that plan was forgotten too. Spike's arms tightened around her slightly and, as fast as it had come, it was gone. The glowing the tingling the whole bit. "That was. neat," Spike mumbled. "That.it tingled." Spike's arms were showing no sign of loosening around her shoulders and Buffy wasn't really sure how to say anything. It wasn't Uncomfortable, nor at all unpleasant. It didn't seem like Spike was going to try anything, content to hold her to him and breath in her hair. "Spike.?" she looked up at him. "Hmm? Oh, sorry love it was just," he let her go and took a step back, "Sorry," he looked down at his feet. "It's OK, it was. nice. The holding, not the tingling, well the tingling wasn't bad in a bad way either but the holding was nice. And. I'm going to shut up now." Spike raised his eyes to look at her as gently as he could manage with his blood boiling the way it was. He had dropped his battle-axe at some point and it lay forgotten in the slime on the floor. He looked at her for a long moment and then opened his arms, begging a God he hadn't spoken with for years to let her come to him. He needed to feel her right then. One hesitating step after another, Buffy moved into the comfort of his chest and rested her cheek over his non-beating heart. His arms folded around her more gently than before and he held her as if she were breakable, as if she were so precious. Buffy took a deep breath and let it out slowly, slipping her slender arms around his waist slowly. "Spike." she said softly. "Yes pet?" "You can hold me tighter. I'm the slayer, wont break." Spike smiled a little and tightened his arms around her as tightly as he could, she was right. He couldn't break her, couldn't really hurt her, not with his body. He realized that the best damage he'd ever caused her he'd done with his mouth, his biting remarks and ability to read her. He didn't want to hurt her now however so he kept his mouth shut. Buffy had never felt so held before, so truly wrapped up. She didn't for a moment think she loved him but this was safety, and for just a moment, she thought that maybe she could love him. One day. Spike sighed and threw his human idea out the window. If he were a man, he couldn't hold her like this. If he were a man she could break him, hurt him. He wanted to be her equal, her partner, and not another clinger on who needed her to protect him. He sighed to himself and rested his cheek on her head. So he'd stay a vampire, and she'd never love him, he'd live his entire unlife under her well-manicured little thumb and never get her to love him. But he could hold her, and he could protect her. maybe like Angel he'd earn his heaven in the end. He was starting to think like the poof! Ahhhhh! "Hey Slayer?" he said quietly. "Hmm?" "Almost sunset. wanna kill stuff?" he asked. She raised her eyes to look at him and smiled her impish little smile pulling a stake from her belt and twirling it John Wayne style. 


	3. Hobbits with Leprasy!

"Buffy! Capture that. that little creature!" called Giles as the small hobbit with Leprosy made a break for the road. "Hey, come back!" she called after it as she took up the chase. From the corner of her eye she could see Spike with one arm around the weeping Dawn. He was so good with her, big brother like. She wondered what it would be like to have a big brother of her own. Diving the last few feet, Buffy's arms tripped up the little thing and it tumbled head over heels for a few meters before landing in a whimpering heap. Buffy was fairly sure she'd broken it, just a little; she could live with that, long as its mouth worked. Before she could pull it to its feet however, Spike was on it in an apparent rage. "You. Never. Touch. The. Girl!" each word was punctuated by a rather brutally broken finger on the creatures left hand. Buffy grabbed him and hauled him back from the now screaming captive holding him tightly 'till he calmed down enough to lose the game face and take a few deep breaths. "Spike. go take care of Dawn. OK?" she asked softly. He nodded and moved back to Dawn who was somewhere between being moved and being disgusted by Spike's violent show of over protectiveness. In any event, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tightly to him. Dawn had never even seen it coming, they'd all been walking to the magic shop and the little thing had grabbed her trying to pull her away into the bushes while a large slimy. thing. had attacked Buffy and Spike. It appeared, at least to the casual observer that Spike was seeing red, he ploughed his was through the slime demon as Buffy chased the little guy. Speaking of whom, the Slayer had said weasily looking little creature by the scruff of the robe and was hauling it towards Giles still whimpering and cradling its broken fingers against its chest. "You're going to be very co-operative aren't you?" she said to it in a deceptively light tone, "and do you know why?" she asked it impishly. The small thing shook its head. "Because if you don't, I'm going to let Spike here start on your other hand." Spike's eyes lit up and he vamped out, growling threateningly at the leper-infected hobbit. "Yes Buffy, I believe that's enough. Lets get it back to the magic shop." Giles said firmly, not entirely comfortable with the tactic used. Spike hoisted Dawn up into his arms and carried her. When she started to object he just looked at her with large and very spooked blue eyes. He was terrified of losing her and it was written plainly on his face. Dawn dropped the tough teenage act and let herself cuddle against her dark protector and rest her chin on his shoulder. "Thank you Spike." she said softly. "Don't have to do that Nibblet," His voice was gruff but it was obviously an act, "can't let no one take you away from us." Dawn let it go and closed her eyes. Her father hadn't been what you'd call an attentive parent and having a man carry her around was something she wasn't used to. It wasn't entirely bad, in fact, she could rather get used to having Spike look after her. Now if only Buffy would stop being so stubborn and get together with him! The Slayer watched the exchange with an odd mix of tenderness and jealousy. Over the past weeks she had worked long and hard to become friends with Spike, and found that once she stopped trying, it wasn't hard at all. She had, grudgingly at first, allowed Dawn to spend more and more time with him and found that he was a calming and controlled influence on her. Convinced to begin with that he'd teach her how to steal and cheat and generally be bad, Buffy had kept the contact between them to a minimum. As it turned out however, Dawn listened to Spike's requests far more than she did her sisters. Spike had a way of addressing the girl that made her feel not so much like a girl, being told what to do and more like an adult being asked to co-operate. The Watcher had observed the slow and somehow inevitable march towards friendship that his Slayer and the Vampire appeared to take together. Concerned at the start he had looked for reasons to keep them apart, but in his logical British mind, when he couldn't find any, he stopped looking. What he saw then was somewhat astonishing. The Vampire's crypt was very close to Dawns school and most afternoons she went straight there to be babysat until sunset when Spike walked her home. Buffy had in him an unwavering companion who listened without comment and gave advice without reservation. The way they fought together was nothing short of miraculous and he found himself wanting to catalog all of it. As with any event in the Slayers life, it was viewed with interest and critiqued by her friends, the ever-present scoobies. The Witches, Tara and Willow, smiled somewhat shyly behind their hands and made small comments that often included the word 'cute'. Spike usually made a great show of taking offence to such statements. Xander, whist being mortally offended by the notion of a friendship with 'Deadboy Jr.' managed to be pulled into one anyway. While in public Xander made a point of say how gross it was and how much Spike could not be trusted, it was more for show, because people expected it, than because he really wanted the blood sucker gone. Once back at the Magic Shop, Spike carefully deposited Dawn on a couch and covered her with his precious coat. Without a word he sat by her and she curled up with her head in his lap. To the amusement of some and the wonderment of others, his black nail polished fingers made their way gently through her hair. "Guys. we need to tell Glory we have the key." Buffy started after shaking her head. The little half locket around her neck seemed somehow heavier every day that she wore it. She could feel it itching at her skin and sometimes it was unbearably hot, other times cold. She wanted too much to take it off and give it to someone else. One day she had wondered idly what would happen when she died. "Buffy I'm not entirely sure that's wise. she has no way of knowing Dawn was the key. it was a random attack to try to get at you, and its failed." Said Giles as gently as he could manage. Dawn however was not a subject on which Buffy was willing compromise. "Giles they nearly took my sister!" she started, her voice that the quality of someone who was getting ready to scream for hours. "Listen to me, Glory appears to have a very short attention span. Given her history it is likely that seeing this plan has failed she'll simply find another one instead of trying again." He explained patiently. "But you don't know that!" Spike looked down at Dawn who was shaking slightly in his lap. Loving Buffy had been one thing; she was a warrior, someone as powerful as himself. That love now seemed to extend to the things which Buffy loved, namely and most noticeably, the Nibblet. He'd do anything to keep her safe. "Tell her its me." He said quietly but firmly. All eyes were on him. Some wide and unbelieving, others trusting but very unwilling. Buffy's were drawn down to his throat, where his half of the locket sat, nestled safely. "What?" she asked. "I said tell her its me. Not right out in the open mind, but let it slip. She'll rip herself to bits trying to get her hands on me and completely ignore Nibblet." He couldn't stop looking at the teenager in his lap. "You can't, Spike I will not sacrifice you to her!" Buffy couldn't decide whether to be indignant or touched or just angry. "I'm not saying that I should go and give myself up! Just sayin' TELL her its me. we'll lead her a long merry chase before she works it out, and by then she will have forgotten all about lil' bit here." Buffy was lost for words. She honestly had no idea what to say. He was offering up his life as a diversionary tactic. Just to make sure Dawn got away for another day. "We can't allow you to do that Spike." Giles was right! Wait? Giles? "And why not? I don't serve any purpose that the Slayer can't on her own." "You wear half of the key around your neck. We can not allow even that half to fall into her hands, she'd then know what the other half was, or have a good idea." Spike frowned in annoyance. It was such a good plan, and at least for the time being it would have secured the Nibblet's safety. He tugged experimentally at the locket about his neck. He'd never really tried to take it off before; it comforted him somehow to have it on him. It was responsibility, responsibility that Buffy had given him. She trusted him with it. "Find a way to take it off. Face it Watcher it's the best plan we've got so far." said Spike stubbornly. Dawn was on her knees however with her arms flung around his neck gripping him tightly. Good thing he doesn't need to breathe. "You can't! You wont! I wont let you! Buffy wont let you! Tell him Buffy, Tell him he cant!" she cried. Spike frowned a little in embarrassment but again it was mostly faked, all his existence Spike had given more love than he got back. But Dawn loved him, and it was good to know. "Nibblet, this is the best way we have come up with so far to keep you safe. You're very important bit, you know that right?" he told her gently. "No I'm not! I'm not even the key anymore! You're way more important than me! You fight the bad guys and stuff! I don't do anything! You can't die!" "Pet." he sighed and gently pulled her face back so he could look at her dreading his own next words, "I'm already dead pet. and I'm nothing. Just a grunt. Buffy need's you and she'll always need you. And I need to know that you're OK." Dawn cried seemingly inconsolably into his shoulder as the others watched on in amazement. Willow and Tara wiped at their eyes with the backs of their hands to get rid of the tears that were threatening to spill. "We're not doing it Spike and that's final." Came Buffy's resolute voice. "Slayer. Buffy, help me find a way to get this thing off, and help me defend myself, or I'll just do it on my own." His eyes were firm; who knew Spike had resolve face? "We can at least research how to take the locket off, it will make our options more open. Does everyone agree to that for now?" Giles, reason again. Buffy hated that. "Alright Watcher, but you'll come around to my way of thinking mate." The bleached vampire held the teenager against him gently and rocked her in his arms. Dawn pulled her face out of his shoulder and nodded, her eyes red rimmed from crying. She didn't cry well, made her face all puffy. Buffy frowned at her watcher feeling somewhat betrayed. She knew how resourceful he was, he'd find a way to take the chain off Spike, and then Spike would go through with his plan. What choice did she have? She nodded and sat down next to Spike and Dawn on the couch watching her once mortal enemy hold her sister to his chest and whisper to her that everything would be all right. When did he get to be such a big part of her family? Buffy tried not to think that it was the night he made love to her. Instead she tried to think of it as the night they did the spell to save Dawns life. Saving Dawn's life. it seemed to be a theme where Spike was concerned. And he was concerned, more than Buffy would ever have thought possible. As concerned as she was.  
  
I know I said this series was finished, but people really seemed to like it and what can I say, I'm the review vampire, I'm a sucker for 'em! PLEASE review me!!!!! More to come. 


	4. Get the girl doughnuts

Dawn was tucked safely in bed, Buffy was making juice and Spike was pacing around in the living room. On the whole the situation wasn't any different from a million other nights as Dawn slept and the Vampire and the Slayer talked strategy. There was a different tone tonight however. Death was walking around in Buffy's living room trying to work out how to give up the key to the gates of hell so he could use himself as a diversion to pull a God's attention away from a teenage girl. No, not a regular night tonight. "Spike, sit! I can't afford to replace the carpet." Buffy snapped a little testily as she came back in with her juice and a mug of warm blood. At first she'd been grossed out by the blood, by having to handle it and when he'd been at Giles', feeding time was something that turned her stomach. Now it was almost normal to her, and she couldn't bring herself to be bothered by it. "Sorry Love, agitated that's all." He apologized and took his blood, sipping it carefully. "We wont let you do this you know." she spoke softly, hopping desperately that he'd let it go at that and not push the issue. "Don't see that we have much of a choice pet. Can't throw one of the Scoobies into the mouth of the beast. They're all to important." he stopped then. While in the silence of his not-soul Spike was more than able to accept his own worthlessness, even embrace it, he couldn't speak it allowed. He still had some ego left. He knew Buffy now well enough to know that it wasn't him she really wanted to protect, but herself. She never wanted to sacrifice anything, not even for the greater good. "We'll find another way, we've always found the other way when the only thing we thought we had was really bad." "Love." Spike could see that inevitably this was going to end in an argument, and he really didn't want it to. "That's final Spike. I'm the chosen one and I chose not to hand you over to a hell God!" Spike took a hold of her shoulders and forced her to look at him. She was shaking ever so slightly and her eyes had that wild look about them that one gets when they are railing against something horrific. "I'm not talking about walking up to her with a white flag pet. I'm talking about letting it slip to her that I'm the key and then burying me someplace. I can be very hard to find when I want to. I'll put in enough appearances to keep her attention while you and you're little groupies work out how to make her go away." He spoke slowly and surely, he was fairly sure this was the only plan that would work, and he was going to make it work. "Spike what if. what if she gets you?" Spike dropped his arms and went back to his mug, singing down onto the couch with a shrug. "Then she gets me. Not that big a loss now is it?" he asked with a slightly bitter and self-mocking smile. Buffy's juice went all over the carpet and she threw herself at him, her fists flying faster than she ever remembered moving straight at his face. "I am NOT losing ANYONE to her! Do you understand! She is not taking ANY of my family from me! None of you!" the attacks became less and less powerful until it was little more than her batting at his chest. "Slayer. the only thing we need to think about is Nibblet, alright." He gently tilted her head pack to face him and in that moment he was tempted, like Adam with the damn evil apple he wanted more than anything to lean in and press his lips to hers. "She's your sister. and your going to punch me for it, but I love her too. she's nice to me, reminds me of my little sister. I'll die if I have to, to protect her." Buffy just looked at him and for the briefest of moments was disappointed that his lips didn't descend to hers the way he obviously wanted to. She shouldn't have been surprised, she'd always made it clear to him that what they had wasn't like that. They had something she couldn't deny that! You might even want to call what they had love, but it was a Scoobie love. A close friend kind of love. "I know you would. But I can't lose you either you know." She said it fast so it wouldn't trip and come out wrong. Spike's scared eyebrow shot up and he gazed down at the blond in his lap, one of his hands absently stroking her hair. Then, as often happened when they were both emotional or standing very close, the lockets began to buzz and tingle, a light glow the colour of honey washing over them both. Buffy shivered a little at the sensation, she'd never get used to it, and Spike found his mind once again filled with visions of Buffy. Visions of naked bronze flesh and energy whizzing around them, of arms and legs and hot and cold. Pure sensation. The glow faded and the tingles went away, and as usual Buffy rested her cheek on Spikes shoulder and looked intently at the side of his face. "I'll never leave you Buffy, you know that. But I'll protect Nibblet, whatever it costs me." His voice was soft, he had that manner about him again. The manner wasn't cocky or over confidant as they had all come to be used to. It was quiet Spike, the one that only came out with Buffy or Dawn, the one that loved them and would fight and die for them if need be. "I know. thank you." She murmured. "I should go, and you need to get some sleep." Without thinking, he pressed his cool lips to her hairline before gently nudging her off his lap. Buffy had noticed that, whenever he thought she wouldn't notice, he'd do something like that. Kiss her hair, lean in close to catch her scent on the air. Something so simple and yet indescribably personal. She often gave serious thought to yelling at him about it, telling him to back the hell off. But he never went any further than that, and it really didn't do any harm. Once on her feet Buffy swayed unsteadily, blinking a little and reaching out for something to balance her. As usual, the thing that balanced her was Spike; he was beside her with his arm around her waist in a heartbeat. "C'mon love, bed time." He said gently as he scooped her up and began to move towards the stairs. Buffy squealed and gripped Spikes neck tightly, her legs kicked a little; she really did hate being carried around. "I'm not going to drop you pet, stop you're squirming!" Stilling as much as she could, the Slayer allowed herself to be carried up the stairs. Instead of depositing her on her bed, Spike dropped her off at her door; he didn't trust himself to lay her out on her bed. not to lean in for a kiss. He knew he'd get a slap in the least for it, and he couldn't stand that. "Thank you." "S'alright love. Gonna head back to the shop and check on the Watcher and his little prisoner." He had an evil gleam in his eyes. "Spike.?" "Yes pet?" "Don't kill him till he tells Giles where Glory is." she said softly. Spike let a huge grin split his face almost in two and he touched her cheek with the back of one hand. "Will do love. want me to get you something from his guts as a souvenir?" Buffy shuddered; she accepted her friend's vampire nature and his violent reaction to a threat on Dawns life. But she tried to suppress the fact he still had some decidedly evil tendencies. Spick chuckled and turned his back, trotted down the stairs, disappearing from her view. Stumbling her way to her large bed, Buffy fell face first onto it and refused to move. She managed to turn her head to the side and look at a patch of floor. The patch of floor where this damn locket around her neck came into being. A patch of floor in her prim and proper 'different shades of pink' bedroom, where she'd had sex with Spike. Sex with Spike. The sentence was still alien and she would be just as happy if it had never happened. But the moment that thought entered her head she knew she was lying to herself. If it hadn't happened, Dawn would still be the key, and Buffy would be sleeping a lot less at night because of it. If it hadn't happened, it was entirely possible that her and Spike wouldn't be friends like they were. she'd probably sleep less at night if that were the case too. So she'd had sex with Spike. She was grown up enough to admit that it was good sex. in face, it had been absolutely incredible, but Willow said that was because the Spell took over them. Buffy wasn't really so sure. She'd watched the Vampire with her sister, seen how gentle he could be, and she'd seen him in battle, his hard body vicious and deadly. He could easily bring someone pleasure or pain with that body, probably in equal amounts. It occurred to Buffy then that what they had now went slightly beyond friendship. She didn't think she loved him, not like she had loved Angel or Riley anyway. She had showered both of those men with love and trust beyond reason and personal safety. But she found herself filled with a respect for him she never would have felt before. The all consuming feeling wasn't there with Spike, thinking about him didn't make her cry, and it didn't really confuse her anymore. She could trust him, and she knew that beyond a doubt. There had always been reservation with Angel that his soul could be torn from him and she'd be left with the devil wearing her lovers face. With Riley she'd trust him with everything, except her strength. She could never trust him not to break under her. Not to get hurt trying to protect her. Spike never tried to protect her she realized then. He said that he did, but it wasn't really like that, not the way he protected Dawn. Spike had faith in her ability to look after herself. He fought beside her, not for her. She'd never really thought about the difference before.  
  
At the Magic shop, the little Hobbit was whimpering in a corner at the sight of the bleach blond angel of death that he was sure had come to claim him. "No. no. no!" it whimpered. Giles passed his hands over his eyes wearily and slumped down in a chair. The little creature was not entirely unscathed from Giles 'debriefing' techniques. "Evenin' Watcher. Did it squeak anything useful?" asked the Vampire cracking his knuckles. "Some. it refuses to tell me where Glory is hiding however." "Go have a break, get some Coffee." grinned Spike, his vampire features slipping down over his handsome face. "Maybe you're right. you talk to it." Giles headed towards the door grabbing his coat on the way before he turned, a Ripper-like grin on his face, "Spike, Don't kill it before it tells alright?" "Sure thing Watcher," Spike advanced on the creature and pulled a chair around so he could sit on it leaning on the back and staring hard at the little thing shivering where it was tied to a chair. "Oh Spike?" Called Giles from the door. "Yeah?" "Do you want anything?" "Could you pick me up some doughnuts for the Nibblet? She always wants them in the morning and Slayer is always to sleepy to go get them." Giles nodded and walked out the door, wondering at the master Vampire ordering doughnuts for the Slayers younger sister. 


End file.
